Learning and Discovering Through Play and Exploration

We made a Cat in the Hat craft last year and wanted to try a new approach this year. With Dr. Seuss’s birthday approaching, it seemed like a great time to try!
Materials:
white poster board (oak tag)
painter’s tape
red paint
paper plate
scissors
tape
stapler
Directions:
1. Measure your poster board and create stripes 1.5-2 inches wide.
2. Use painter’s tape to mark off the stripes and paint the exposed poster board red.
My son also made one but he was feeling sick that day … Read entire article »

Here are some of our favorite children’s picture books about winter. I’ll have a separate posts with books specifically about snow and snowflakes and arctic animals.
Winter Trees by Carole Gerber and Leslie Evans (3+): Striking graphic illustrations accented with mat silver accompany poetic descriptions of the silhouettes of trees in the winter. The jaunty rhyming text transforms the commonplace into the magical. Read this future classic, suitable for preschoolers through elementary school, and then … Read entire article »

Last night our Jewish friends began their celebration of the miracle of Chanukah. Although my husband and I are not Jewish, most of my family is. And we want the children to learn about festivals, beliefs, and traditions from other culture.
Whether you are celebrating Chanukah or just want to share these books with your kids, here are 6 children’s picture books about Chanukah! Maybe next year I will have eight!
Maccabee!: The Story of Hanukkah, by … Read entire article »

Here are some of our favorite picture books about Thanksgiving and Turkeys. These are the children’s books my kids look forward to each year.
You might think that, as a vegetarian, I have little love for a holiday that centers around a feast featuring a whole roast bird. I do love pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, and apple muffins, though! Plus, my first two children were born in August. Go ahead. Do the math. I’ll wait.
So, … Read entire article »

Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon: When a young bat is separated from her mother, she joins a nest of baby birds. In a beautifully illustrated book with lots of loving close-ups, Stellaluna tries to fit in but learns that she is happiest being herself. Along with her newfound friends, she also discovers that sometimes friends can be very different in some ways but alike in the ways that count. This book is my … Read entire article »

There are so many wonderful picture books about apple trees, apple cider, apple pies, and everything apples!
Apple Farmer Annie, (ages 2+) by Monica Wellington: A contented-looking Annie picks, sorts, presses, bakes, and transports her apples and apple products to the city’s market. At the end there are recipes for apple muffins and applesauce. Although the story is simple, the rich illustrations have plenty of details to discuss. We own the bilingual edition, Ana Cultiva Manzanas … Read entire article »

Fall is my favorite time of year–the apple picking, drinking cider, butternut squash, colorful leaves, crisp air…
Here are some children’s picture books about Autumn, harvest time, and falling leaves:
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, by Julia Rawlinson, shares the story of an adorable fox who tries to return the autumn leaves to the tree. His woodland friends try to tell him that the tree doesn’t need the leaves anymore but Fletcher thinks that the wind, the … Read entire article »

There are a lot of picture books featuring dinosaurs but only a handful that use an entertaining story to share facts about dinosaurs.
Most of the books I found are either illustrated non-fiction or stories that just happen to involve dinosaurs without sharing much factual information. Here are some of my favorites.
I’m Bad and I’m Big!, by Kate McMullan: Even the youngest dino-fans will enjoy these two tales. McMullan captures the voice of these two … Read entire article »

When I was a child, I got to take home the class hermit crab over a long vacation. There is something incredibly fascinating about a creature that needs to borrow shell to protect itself and to exchange that shell for a new one as it grows. Check out this video on YouTube of a Hermit Crab changing its shell.
My children are also intrigued by hermit crabs. There are quite a few at the shore and … Read entire article »

Masks are fun way for children to explore and move and act in different ways. For our Forest-Friendly Week of the Smart Summer Challenge, we made Woodland Animal Masks.
Some of the things I like about this craft is that it gives them control over the process, encourages them to be observant, and also serves as a fun prop to continue the activity. I’m chatting more about crafts over at the Random House Kids: Read … Read entire article »

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About the Author

Candace Lindemann is a published children’s writer and educational consultant. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Working with school districts around the country and some of the most well-known companies in the education industry, Candace creates custom strategies, textbooks, and lesson plans. Her articles have appeared in print and online.

While Candace’s degrees prepared her for a career in education, she’s found that the best preparation for parenting is on the job training.